Greg Pope Biography

Greg Pope was born in Blackburn on 29 August 1960 and was brought up
in Great Harwood in what is now part of the Hyndburn constituency. He
attended St Wulstan's RC Primary School in Great Harwood and St Mary's
College RC Grammar School in Blackburn. He has a degree in politics from
Hull University.

Greg was elected to serve on Hyndburn Borough Council in 1984 until
1988 and he also served briefly on Blackburn Borough Council in 1989-90.
He contested the Ribble Valley constituency in the 1987 general
election.

He was first elected to Parliament in the 1992 general election. Greg
has now been returned to represent Hyndburn in the House of Commons in
four consecutive elections.

In Parliament, Greg served on the Education Select Committee until
appointed an Opposition Whip in 1995. After the 1997 general election
Greg served in the Government Whips' Office as a Lord Commissioner of
the Treasury where he worked in first the Foreign Office and later the
Department for Trade & Industry. He left the Government after the
2001 general election and is currently a member of the House of Commons
Foreign Affairs Committee.

His political interests include housing, foreign policy, education
and Ireland. In his spare time he enjoys walking, the gym, chess, music
and football. He supports Blackburn Rovers and also follows Accrington
Stanley and Great Harwood FC. He is thought to be the only Member of
Parliament to have invaded the stage during a gig by The Clash in 1978
and danced to 'Police and Thieves' with the band.